The Fool-Proof Ways to Stay In Touch with Editors Post-Internship

This is one of a series of posts from The Intern Diaries, a summer guest blogging project hosted by Ed. Follow our intern from her first day to her last, and learn more about this crazy exciting industry. Click here to read more from this season’s blogger.

Congrats! You made it through your summer internship. Now you can finally throw this crazy cool experience on your resume.

But before you start celebrating your latest success, you’ve got to establish a way to keep in touch with your editors after your stint at the publication is complete and leave a lasting impression.

These two final intern tasks will help you stay fresh in their minds when job openings arise and when you need answers to job-hunting questions. Heck, you might even become friends by being email pen pals. Here’s are my strategies for making a lasting impression.

Link UpBefore I left my internship, I made sure to add every single editor and intern that I worked with on LinkedIn. It’s super easy because it doesn’t require any face-to-face contact, and I had a way to message them whenever I wanted after I left. On top of that, you’ll be in the know if they get promoted or move to another company, which gives you an excuse to give them a shout out and say congrats!

Become an Email CollectorSince your access to the office email is dunzo once your internship is over, I wrote down all the work email addresses of the editors that I worked with. It’s also a good idea to ask your favorite editors if they would mind you reaching out to them in the future. This way, they can keep an eye out for your name in their inbox, and if they prefer you contacting them through their personal email, you’ll have that, as well.

Be the Thank You QueenWhile email is just fine for keeping in touch, there’s nothing like a thoughtful, hand-written thank you card to make your former editors say, “Aw, I really liked working with this lady!” In the note, I mentioned how much their guidance meant to me, something I really enjoyed working on with them, and how I’ll be in touch soon. And I didn’t leave any editor out, they all appreciated the time I took to properly thank them. Also, I included my email (to avoid ending up in their spam folder) and mentioned going out for coffee or drinks the next time I was in town.

Get Some Final Face TimeThe other essential part of making a lasting impression is saying goodbye. No matter how much stuff you have going on during the last hours on the job, set aside time to pop by your editors’ offices and shake their hands or give them hugs to let them know just how much you enjoyed hanging with them for the last few months. You won’t regret it, and you’ll leave them with warm, fuzzy feelings.

Making strong connections before leaving your internship will ensure that you always have one foot in the door post-internship. Plus, it leaves them with a positive impression of you.

How did you leave a lasting impression on your editors? Tell us in the comments below!